595 Aldine Street
Saint Paul, MN 55104
651-644-8888

Sustainable Stormwater Management on the Ford Site

The Ford Site in the Highland Park neighborhood of Saint Paul represents a unique opportunity for redevelopment. A 21st Century Community will emerge on the over 122 acres of land situated along the Mississippi River that looks to the future with clean technologies and high quality design for stormwater, energy, buildings and infrastructure.

Capitol Region Watershed District and the City of Saint Paul completed a Sustainable Stormwater Management Study to enhance potential outcomes for stormwater infrastructure on the Ford site. The study lays the groundwork for future stormwater infrastructure, with one of the goals being to better protect Hidden Falls Creek in Saint Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood. This innovative approach draws from the City’s adopted Great River Passage plan. The plan outlines transformation of the Ford site by featuring a stormwater-based amenity for the community that reconnects the community to parks and the Mississippi River.

The study illustrates a way to re-create the historic origin of the creek while also collecting and treating stormwater runoff for the entire development site. This comprehensive approach eliminates the need for individual underground treatment systems scattered across the site. Outlined in this study are financial, environmental and social benefit comparisons of a conventional approach and a comprehensive innovative approach. Essentially, a comprehensive approach doubles the benefit-to-cost ratio and reduces the overall cost of managing stormwater on the Ford site by as much as 40% per acre treated, ultimately allowing for the land to be developed with greater efficiency and flexibility.

This study is meant to outline opportunities for an innovative stormwater management approach on the site and will inform the overall guiding framework for the full site.